My new lunch obsession

To avoid soup overload I switched up my lunch routine lately.  Now, I have become obsessed with these Morning Star Farms Spicy Black Bean burgers.  I might be a little late to this black bean burger trend, but better late than never. 

I used to buy Boca Burgers, but these Morning Star Farms burgers blow Boca's away in taste and texture.  Don't waste your money with Boca.

This meatless burger is loaded with black beans, roasted corn, brown rice, and chili peppers.  It's not all pulverized and unrecognizable either.  You can see whole beans and corn in the patty. 

The patties are perfectly portioned to watch your waistline too.  Each burger contains only 120 calories/4 grams of fat.  It also has an impressive 4 grams of fiber and 11 grams of protein. 

Why a meatless burgers you ask?  Because they are MUCH better for you than that beef crap you buy at the drive-thru.  These have 73% less fat that regular burger! 


Ideas for toppings:Last week, I made the burgers southwest style.  I started by mashing up 1/4 of an avocado and 1 tablespoon store bought salsa.  Slather that on one side of toasted Pepperidge Farm Deli Flats bread.

Cook the burger according to package directions and top with a handful of shredded vegan cheese and some jarred jalapeno slices. So good!

I hadn't had time to grocery shop for the week yet so today I had the burger backyard BBQ style.  Adding red onion, fresh tomato slices, lettuce, and a slather of Dijonaise dressing. 

I promise you will not miss one morsel of meat in this lunch. 

They taste amazing and are a snap to prepare! 

Arrrrriba! Yo quiero taco salad

When I was young, my sister used to make killer taco salads.  What made them so special was she used tortilla bowls that you buy and bake at home, not Frito's or tortilla chips.  Last night I was feeling all nostalgic and wanted to re-create those taco salads.  But, OF COURSE, Kroger was out of taco salad bowls!  Who's shocked Kroger let me down, again? Anybody? Anybody? (crickets....)

I had to improvise.  The result was a lightened up version of taco salads that uses fresh ingredients and homemade tortilla chips.  Perhaps Kroger did me a favor by being out of of what I intended to use? Nah, let's not give them too much credit... 

I don't think my husband even knew it was my low-fat version of a real-deal taco salad it was so tasty.  I even snuck in soy cheese instead of real cheese. Sneaky, sneaky. (Shhhhh.  Don't tell him, he never knew)

Shrimp Taco Salad

Serves 2

Ingredients:

Homemade chips:
2 burrito size flour tortillas
Non-stick cooking spray
Cumin (if desired)

Salad:
1/2 pound fresh shrimp
1 teaspoon chili powder
sea salt/black pepper
2 cups romaine lettuce chopped
1/2 cup canned black beans; drained, rinsed and dried
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
1/4 small red onion, chopped
1/2 avocado chopped
2 tablespoons jarred jalapenos chopped
A Sprinkle of Cheddar/Monterey jack blend shredded cheese (I used soy cheese)

Dressing:
3 Tablespoons store bought salsa
1 Tablespoon light ranch dressing

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cut flour tortillas into wedges like a pie.  Line a baking sheet with foil and spray generously with non-stick cooking spray.  Lay tortillas in a single layer on baking sheet (don't overlap tortillas, use two baking sheets if needed)  Spray tops of tortillas with non-stick cooking spray.  Bake in oven for 5-10 minutes, keeping a close eye on them.  These burn fast, when you start to smell them cooking they are most likely done. 
Once done and still hot from the oven, sprinkle chips with a little bit of cumin to add a smokey flavor.  Set chips aside until ready to use.

Make sure shrimp are dried well with paper towels.  Sprinkle with chili Powder, salt and pepper, to taste.  Heat a non-stick skillet, sprayed with non-stick cooking spray over medium-high heat.  Saute shrimp 5-10 minutes, or until done.  Keep warm while you assemble salads. 

To assemble salads, line dinner plate with tortilla chips.

Add toppings, starting with lettuce. 

(You can add or omit your favorite taco fixin's to suite your family)

 For dressing, mix salsa and ranch dressing well.  Pour over salad just before serving.

They say you eat with your eyes first.  If so, this was a feast!  So colorful and fresh. 

The chili rubbed shrimp are a great lower fat alternative to hamburger meat with sodium laced taco seasoning.  If you want to be reeeally good, you can omit the ranch dressing and top with just salsa. 

Side note:  Do you know how to seed a tomato?  I didn't, until I saw it on the food network.  I used to hate adding tomatoes to salads because the juice makes everything soggy.  I've solved that by seeding all the tomatoes I add to salads and sandwiches.

To seed, slice tomato either in half or wedges like below.  Hold over sink or trash can and give it a good light squeeze, like you would a lemon. 

What's left if pure tomato flesh and none of that wet seedy stuff.  Tah-dah!

This ain't your Aunt Jemima's syrup

Next time you have an itch for a mid afternoon candy bar, I have a suggestion for you.  Try glazed nuts.  I made Ellie Krieger's recipe for Maple Glazed Walnuts over the weekend.  These are phenomenal!  They taste like those yummy candied nuts I make around Christmas time that are laced with butter and sugar.  But these are a much healthier take on the nutty indulgence. 

Walnuts are one of those "super foods" we all hear about.  The health benefits are a mile long.  Be mindful of your portion size though.  Walnuts are high in fat, but all good fats that will keep you healthy and provide you with tons of energy.  These glazed walnuts are a much smarter pick over a sugar bomb chocolate bar out of the snack machine. 

I've been eating these right out of the zip lock baggie as a mid-afternoon snack.  But I also can't wait to try them on a crisp fall salad with apples or pears.  Plus, if you use organic 100% pure Maple Syrup these are natural, whole food snack (By my definition of the term anyway.  It seems there are a thousand interpretations on what exactly "natural" is these days).  Since many of us are trying to avoid processed foods, it's an added perk.

Maple Glazed Walnuts

2 cups walnut halves

1/3 cup maple syrup (Don't skimp on this one, but 100% pure maple syrup; organic if you can find it.  A small bottle is around $7.00, and worth every penny.  Read the ingredients label if you are in doubt. If you've never tried real, pure maple syrup you are in for a treat.  It will make you wanna slap your Aunt Jemima it's so good!)

1/8 teaspoon salt

Heat a dry skillet of medium-high heat.  Add the walnuts, maple syrup and salt.  Cook, stirring frequently, until syrup is caramelized and nuts are toasted, about 3-5 minutes.  Spread the nuts evenly on wax paper sprayed with non-stick cooking spray to cool completely.

Above: Just added in the maple syrup, you can see it bubbling in the pan.

Almost done, you can still see some of the syrup in the bottom of the pan. 
Keep stirring and mixing them well.  You want them to be evenly coated.

Done!  You can see the walnuts are glossy with the glaze and all the moisture from the pan has coated the nuts.

After they have cooled they are still gorgeous!  Shiny and slightly sticky. 

One more tip: Wash the pan immediately!  The drops of sticky syrup left will glue itself to the skillet making it a dish washer nightmare.  Yes, I know from experience.

Happy snacking!

Lobster and Shrimp Ravioli with Vodka Cream Sauce.

A couple of our friends are spending the long weekend in our favorite vacation spot, Sandestin Florida.  That got me thinking about a meal we have each time we are in Sandestin.  The Lobster Ravioli at Grafitti in Sandestin is one of our favorite meals of all time.  It might be the vacation atmosphere or getting to share the meal with our great friends, but something about that place makes it magical every time. 

Since I had the meal on my mind this week I decided to try and re-create a similar dish for us here at home last night.  I had a horrible day yesterday so I knew I needed a great meal and a glass bottle of wine. 

A picture doesn't do this dish any justice. 
If you had a scratch and sniff computer screen, you would be dying for this dish right now!

I created this dish with a little help from the store.  Yes, I've made homemade ravioli before with wonton wrappers that turns out wonderfully.  However, this week when I was at Whole Foods I spotted a box of fresh Shrimp and Lobster Ravioli.   Why go to all that trouble myself with these gems staring at me?  I decided to take the easy route.  Buy the ravioli and make my own sauce to dress it.

Now for the sauce.  Rachel Ray's "You won't be single for long Vodka Cream Sauce" is one of my favorite sauces to make at home.  It tastes like something you would order out at a nice Italian restaurant.  Plus, its super quick to prepare.  I've heard some of my friends comment this sauce does not turn out the same for them when they cook it.  Make sure you take the time to reduce the vodka down as instructed. Cooking out the alcohol and concentrating the flavor is what makes this dish perfect.

If you don't have ravioli, you can follow her instructions for Penne pasta. I've had the sauce over lasagna also instead of a traditional marinara sauce.  DELISH!  The possibilities are endless!
Recipe Link:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/you-wont-be-single-for-long-vodka-cream-pasta-recipe/index.html

Preparing the sauce takes literally 10 minutes, start to finish.  You can boil the raviolis as you make the sauce.  Which makes this a lightning fast meal to prepare.  Perfect for busy week nights.  Here are some of my pics along the cooking process.  As you can see in the end I finished my plate off with a healthy sprinkle of fresh Parmesan Cheese. 

This is the brand I found in Whole Foods, by the fresh cheese section. 
It was full of seafood!  I was skeptical, but these were great.

You'll know fresh ravioli is done cooking when it starts floating around the surface like above.

Cheese Please!

If you want to impress dinner guests or your honey on a date night this is PERFECT! 

Warning, don't make it unless you want people hounding you for more. 

I had plenty of sauce left over so I'm going to turn what's left into a meal for Sunday night.  I'll share with you next week how I made this sauce work a double-shift for me.

Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Over the weekend I needed a little something sweet to take over to someone as a game day peace/good will offering (to and Alabama fan, on Alabama/Florida Gameday).  I combined two recipes for banana bread that I've had my eye on for a couple of weeks.  One recipe had a simple ingredients list that was relatively healthy for you, and the other had peanut butter.  I'm like Elvis, a sucker for mixing bananas and peanut butter.  So I combined the best of both recipes to make my own little diddy. 

I doubled this recipe so I could have some of the bread for my own game day festivities. But to my surprise, I only own one loaf pan.  I improvised by making banana bread cupcakes with the remaining bread mix.  They turned out super cute, if I do say so myself.  This post is really a two-fer recipe, you can make a loaf bread or go the cupcake route.  Either way, these are purrrrdy tasty.

Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Makes 1 loaf or 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:
Bread:
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup peanut butter
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cup ripe bananas, mashed (about 4 bananas)
1/3 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Peanut Butter Glaze:
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon peanut butter

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray a (9x5 inch) loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray for making a loaf, or line a muffin pan with cupcake foils for cupcakes. 

In a large bowl, combine flours, sugar, baking soda and salt. 

In another large bowl combine butter, peanut butter, eggs, bananas, yogurt, and vanilla, whisking until smooth.

Fold flour mixture into the butter mixture until well incorporated.  I like to add flour in a little at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Pour into prepared pan or muffin tins, filling each cup about 3/4 full. 

This is a a picture of when cupcakes were coming out of the oven

Bake 20-25 minutes for cupcakes; 50 minutes for bread loaf.  (or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean)  Once cool enough to handle, remove cupcakes or loaf to a wire rack to cool completely.

In a small bowl, mix together powdered sugar, milk and peanut butter with a fork until well combined.  Use the back of a spoon to thinly glaze each cupcake or bread loaf with peanut butter glaze. 

This glaze was so yummy, I think I could have eaten it off of a dirt pie. 

I've already been thinking of a thousand other things to top with it. 

Enjoy!

Banana Note:  Most mash bananas with the back of a fork.  I think that takes too long.  I used my mini food processor for the job.  Doing 1-2 bananas at a time.  It made a perfect chunky liquid mix for bread.  I think the food processor is a great alternative to using all that elbow grease on mashing up a couple bananas.



Greek Breakfast Scramble

Perhaps we eat omelets over "scrambles" because omelets look prettier?  It seems to me they are basically the same thing, but with scrambles the mix-ins scattered throughout the egg.  I actually prefer scattered through.  So I made another Greek themed breakfast this morning, scramble style. 

Greek Breakfast Scramble

Ingredients:
1 whole egg, plus 1 egg white, lightly beaten with about a teaspoon of Skim milk
Spinach, (about a hand full)
Capers
1 tablespoon roasted Red Pepper, chopped
Black Pepper and Salt, added to taste
1-2 Tablespoons Feta Cheese

Warm a non-stick skillet, with a couple of sprays of non-stick cooking spray over Medium-Low heat. 

Add in the hand full of spinach, capers (As many capers as you, like I used about a fork full.), and roasted red peppers.  Saute the ingredients until spinach wilts and peppers are heated through.

Slowly pour the lightly beaten eggs over spinach mixture. 

 

Use a non-stick spatula to gently stir the eggs through the spinach, and turn eggs as needed to cook on all sides. 

(Remember, the secret to fluffy eggs is not to stir them too often..

You can see below I like to let the bottom of the egg start to set a bit before I stir.)

Once mixture cook through, about 3-5 minutes sprinkle feta cheese over warm eggs. 

Add in salt and pepper to taste.

Carb lovers can make this a "complete breakfast" by adding a side of whole wheat toast.

This is still a wonderfully colorful dish.  Scrambles are not as pretty and neatly folded as omelets are, but has all the same possible toppings and flavors.  In my opinion scrambles are much faster, and only one pan is needed.  (Which makes for quicker clean-up.)

You can also add meat to this dish if you prefer.  Just brown sausage, ham, or bacon right in the same pan before adding in the spinach or other desired toppings. 

This is very versatile for any picky eaters in your house.  Just mix and match your favorite omelet stuffing's to suite.

Cocktail Rehab

Every fitness expert and nutritionist will tell you that if you are ready to serious about weigh loss and toning up you have to quit hitting "the sauce".  Now, that's a noble idea and all, but unless I want to find myself a whole new social circle, that doesn't revolve our social events around beer and wine....I'll never be able to get "serious". 

I've done it a thousand times; eat like a health warrior all week long and when the weekend rolls around I splurge on eating and drinking.  I virtually erase all the good deeds I've done through the week with the diet damage I do in just two days.  Beer. Wine. Beer and Wine.  Perhaps a Martini mixed in for good measure?  Ugh!  Monday morning rolls around and I avoid the scales like the plague.  Not to mention, I'm so bloated I could easily substitute for one of Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade floats.  (Preferably Snoopy, cause he's my fav)

Does my diet merry-go-round sound familiar to you?

Let's take a hard look at what we are drinking.  How can we keep the fitness train from derailing every-single-weekend?  Fact is, you can nosh on your little 100 calorie packs all week long, but you can easily make up for every calorie sacrificed with just a couple of sinful cocktails. 

Do you know how many calories are in your favorites?  Here's list of some common drinks:

Pina Colada (6 oz): 378 calories
Mojito (8 oz): 214
Cosmopolitan (4 oz): 200
Margarita (8 oz): 280
Green apple martini: 148
Martini (2.5 oz): 160
Bloody Mary (5 oz): 118
Red wine (5 oz):120
White wine (5 oz): 120
Beer (12 oz): 150-198
Light beer (12 oz): 95-136
Ultra-light beer (12 oz): 64-95
Champagne (5oz): 106-120
Wine spritzer (5 oz): 100
Vodka and tonic (8 oz): 200
Screwdriver (8 oz): 190
Mimosa (4 oz): 75
Gin and tonic (7 oz): 200
Long Island iced tea (8 oz): 780
White Russian (2 oz vodka, 1.5 oz coffee liqueur, 1.5 oz cream): 425
Rum and Coke (8 oz): 185
Rum and Diet Coke (8 oz): 100


One Long Island Ice Tea has about the same amount of calories as one BIG MAC?! Yikes! 

So what's a social drinker to do?  Don't panic just yet.  I've found a couple of tips online to help us make smarter picks.

1. Alternate alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks to save calories. The savvy dieter finishes one cocktail, glass of wine or beer, then has a "mocktail" -- a nonalcoholic, preferably zero-calorie beverage (like sparkling water with a lime) that looks like the real thing. This strategy not only reduces the risk of over-consuming calories and alcohol, but it also helps you stay hydrated so your head will thank you in the morning!

2. Choose wine, light beer, or simple cocktails made with low-calorie mixers. Just as you might order your salad with dressing on the side, don't be shy about asking for your cocktail your way. You can save 100 calories if you have a diet soda as your mixer.  Mix cocktails with water, club soda, low calorie juices, artificial sweeteners or sugar-free syrups for easy calorie savings. Fruit and vegetable juices can be good choices because they are lower in calories than some other mixers and also contain disease-preventing antioxidants.
Some mixers that won't pack on the pounds include:

• Diet soda or diet tonic: 0 calories
• Orange juice (6 oz): 84 calories
• Cranberry juice cocktail (8 oz): 136 calories
• Light orange juice (8 oz): 50 calories
• Light cranberry juice (8 oz): 40 calories
• Light lemonade (8 oz): 5 calories
• Coffee, tea: 0 calories
• Baja Bob's sugar-free margarita or sweet 'n' sour mix: 0 calories
• Lemon or lime juice (1/2 oz): 10 calories
• DaVinci or Torani's sugar-free syrups: 0

3. Skip the mixer altogether. Try ordering your favorite spirit or one of the new flavored liquors on the rocks. Infused vodkas are very popular because they are not sweetened but infused with flavors.

4. Dilute your drink. Another option is diluting your drink with club soda or sparkling water. Wine spritzers are a low-calorie standby. And if you usually drink vodka and cranberry, for example, try it with club soda, just a splash of cranberry juice, and a squeeze of lime.
(Tips found on WebMD)

In addition to these tips, there is also an emerging trend of liquor companies trying to reduce their calorie counts per glass or mix liquors with something better for you.  For example, Bacardi has a new pre-mixed Pina Colada that is mixed with Coconut Water. (Coconut water is nature's Gatorade, full of electrolytes and potassium.  It's the ulimate mixed signal for a body.  A dehydrator in the liquor, and a hydrator in the coconut water.)

Bethenny Frankle has also started bottling her Skinny Girl line of pre-mixed drinks.  Prior to the bottled Skinny Girl Margarita, I had heard a thousand different versions of a "skinny margarita" circulating around friends.  The true Skinny Girl has only Tequila, Orange Liquor, and Lime Juice.  All other's take on this mixture you've heard might be as good, but also might have more than just 100 caloires that the orginal version boasts.
Keep in mind, that as with anything, even this skinny margaritas are about moderation.  Yes, you are saving 40-50 calories a serving size, but that doesn't make it okay to partake in 2/3's of the whole bottle.

After all this preaching, I'll sit my soap box aside to give you a couple solutions.  (About time, right?) 

I love Truvia.  I use it instead of aspartame products because its a natural low calorie sweeter with none of those scary side effects.  Truvia has a great drink menu on their website for a lot of great tasting, lower calorie drinks. 
I've personally had the Raspberry Lojito; it is fabulous! 

http://www.truvia.com/recipes/beverages/default.aspx

Last but not least, the original Skinny Girl herself has several low-cal recipes on posted on her site. You can find the original Skinny Girl Margarita here also.

http://www.bethenny.com/food/recipes/drinks/